Les Jones

East Tennessee > Best Thing Ever Written About the Barkley Marathons in Wartburg, TN

I just discovered that the Washington Post published an article (subtitled "Punishing Race Is an Enticing Lost Cause") last April about the Barkley Marathons for insane people, which is held in Frozen Head State Park in nearby Wartburg, TN:

Only six runners ever have finished the Barkley Marathons since its inception in 1986, and the race teased and tortured Robinson and 34 other runners during the first weekend in April. Some of the best endurance athletes in the world traveled to Tennessee to test themselves against the hardest course in ultramarathon running: a cumulative elevation almost equal to two climbs up Mount Everest; trails too deteriorated to follow without a compass; temperatures that, in a single weekend, threaten both heatstroke and hypothermia.

Even if Robinson, 45, could force down runny eggs and drag his wrecked body 20 more miles within the race's 60-hour time limit, he would fly home to California without prize money, fame or significant recognition. Like every other runner, he had come to Tennessee seeking a more personal result. Mainly, he was curious about how well he could compete. How hard could he push himself? How much could he endure before his mind and body surrendered to the woods?

If you like Jon Krakauer books you'll find the article interesting.